H.S. Golf: Glen Rock programs continue to grow

The captains of the Glen Rock boys golf team are junior Andrew Nappi, left, and senior John Crawford.The captains of the Glen Rock girls golf team are senior Julia Wood, left, and junior Hannah Daschil.

Golf has a new look at Glen Rock High School this spring, with an official girls team added to the longtime boys program. Paul Cusack, who coaches the boys soccer team, said, "The Glen Rock golf program has a rich history and experienced great success over the years. When the position as the girls coach opened up, it was an opportunity to be a part of that program and contribute to the growth and success of the girls team."

Dan Morgan, the boys golf coach, has guided the girls interested in the sport along with his team in recent years, and last season, the girls made a leap forward by posting a 5-3 record and recording a win over Ridgewood and its established program.

With the backing of athletic director Frank Violante and the Board of Education, the girls squad is playing an 11-match schedule and is eligible for tournament competition. Julia Wood, who has been with the program four years, competed last year with senior Antonia Nuzzolo and junior Hannah Daschil.

Cusack, who is an avid golfer, likes the way his team is progressing, owning a 1-1 record in the early going. Wood carded a 44 at the Paramus Golf Course, as Northern Highlands had a 208 team total followed by Glen Rock (219) and Ridgefield Park (278). Daschil came in with 50, Nuzzolo 54 and freshman Nicola Fornino 71. Freshmen Julia Aguam, Ayano Endo and Erica Jones are the other varsity team members.

Cusack said, "Expectations for the team are to continue to improve as individuals and as a team and to qualify for the state tournament for the first time in program history. To achieve these goals, we are looking to build off of last year's experience as well as get strong leadership from the captains."

The outlook is also bright for coach Morgan's boys, who had a 16-3-1 record a year ago and were NJIC Division 1 champions. Seniors John Crawford and Clayton Colquitt return, along with junior Andrew Nappi and sophomores Tom LaMacchia, Josh Lee and freshman Alec Hall. New to the team are senior Tim Hahn, who played in goal for the Panthers' soccer team, and sophomore Luke Visconti, a member of the hockey team this past winter. The newcomers have played golf but not competitively.

Nappi, Crawford and Colquitt play in the top three spots for the Rockers, with LaMacchia at No. 4. Morgan said LaMacchia is much improved over last season. Visconti, Hahn, Lee and Hall rotate in the Nos. 5 and 6 spots. Last year, Nappi and Crawford averaged around 40 and Colquitt 44 for nine-hole competition.

Morgan said, "We are well balanced, and the younger players are getting enough playing time for later in the season."

Colquitt shot a 40 in the first outing, with Glen Rock finishing three strokes behind Leonia and besting Eastern Christian by 28 strokes at Paramus.

The Panthers shot much better their next time out at a tougher course, Knickerbocker in Tenafly, but fell to powerful Bergen Catholic. Nappi carded a 41, while Crawford came in with a 42 in Glen Rock's wins over Eastern Christian and Garfield at Paramus. Glen Rock took a 3-2 record into this week's matches.